


Fate of the Gods

by KrazyKyStaHatter



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, DJWifi, F/M, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, Melancholyette Inpain-Cheng, Mix of Fluff and Angst, Psyche and Eros AU, Though... the beginning has a lot of angst, Winged Adrien, sadrien angstgreste
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-09-26 01:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9856175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrazyKyStaHatter/pseuds/KrazyKyStaHatter
Summary: After the defeat of Hawkmoth, a day that leaves her life in shambles, things have been hard for Marinette. Adrien has now been missing for five years, and though she hasn't forgotten him, she has started to move on.But just when she's getting back on stable ground, her life is turned upside down once more when Master Fu reveals she is an incarnate of a Greek Goddess, and that her fate is interlinked with the incarnate of Eros.How can she deal living in a big, empty house with a winged man she doesn't know or love when her Kitty is waiting for?





	1. A Hollow Victory

**Author's Note:**

> Hey!  
> So, this is another one of the fics I've been going on for a while. I'm currently halfway through chapter three.  
> I can't remember exactly what led me to it, but I was suddenly struck with the inspiration to do a Psyche and Eros AU. I wanted to stick to the normal storyline, though, so it's more of a change to the underlying stuff than the entire world. It may be a bit confusing at first, but everything will be cleared up in the first few chapters.  
> It's set just over 6 years after where the show is currently at. And I love my winged Adrien. I have been sketching him and may put some drawings up later.  
> For now, enjoy this little ball of angst.

##  **A Hollow Victory**

 

Marinette was honestly surprised that her transformation hadn’t dropped by now. She was exhausted, and she knew that Tikki was as well. They’d already had to recharge twice during the battle, and it was an absolute miracle that she’d managed to sneak off without being caught. She had Chat to thank for that, he’d made a good distraction. Hawkmoth had been relentless, but they had finally done it.

They had finally defeated him. After three years, it was finally over.

And yet… their victory felt hollow. Because the man who the police were now loading into the back of the police car was Gabriel Agreste. She wasn’t sure how to handle the discovery that Hawkmoth was one of her idols and the father of one of her dearest friends. The situation even seemed to be affecting Chat Noir, who hadn’t said a word since he had ripped the Miraculous away from Hawkmoth’s throat to reveal the man beneath. He seemed shell-shocked, so much to the point that she couldn’t tell what he was feeling.

Gabriel Agreste…

Oh god, how was Adrien going to react to this? Did he maybe already know? Is that why…?

“Adrien!” she cried in sudden realisation.

“What?” Chat’s head snapped up in confusion at her outburst.

“Adrien!” she repeated. “He has to be here! He has to!” Feeling a new determination and a burst of energy, she sprinted into the house, Chat Noir hot on her heels. “Adrien?!” she called. She hardly waited for a reply before she ran deeper into the house. “Adrien?!”

“Ladybug, what are you doing?” Chat asked, trying to grab her and make her stop running around. However, she evaded her grasp and sprinted up the stairs two at a time.

“He has to be here, Chat.”

“He’s not,” he told her. “All the ruckus and fighting, surely he would have tried to leave. But we didn’t see him. He’s gone, Ladybug.”

“No, he  _ has _ to be here! I don’t believe a word of it, not for a second. Adrien wouldn’t just… He wouldn’t just leave all his friends behind! He wouldn’t stop talking to them!” She continued running down the halls, looking in every door as she made her way to where she knew his room was. “His-his father’s Hawkmoth! That has to be it. If-if he’s capable of Akumatizing half the city, he’d be capable of locking his son inside, right? He’s here. He has to be. Maybe - maybe he found out who his father was and Gabriel locked him away. Or… or…”

“Or he’s gone!”Chat finally managed to get in front of Ladybug and grab her by the upper arms to hold her still. “Ladybug, he’s been missing for months. We’ve already looked for him. We’ve already searched everywhere. He’s  _ gone _ .”

“No. No, he can’t be. Adrien isn’t gone!” she shouted at him, pushing him off her and running past him. “Adrien?!”

Chat sighed as he was pushed to the side. It wasn’t the first time they’d had this argument, and she’d reacted almost the exact same way. She was one of the few people who hadn’t given up, who still had hope that they’d find him. But they wouldn’t. He knew they wouldn’t.

He’d had no idea that Ladybug cared about Adrien so much. Sure, they’d had some moments a few years back, but she genuinely seemed to care for him. He felt her heart break a little more every time one of their searches came up empty, every time one of their leads came up dead. He knew that she was incredibly compassionate and… it just hurt him to see her like this (literally), knowing that he was he was the cause of it.

Suddenly he felt a familiar sensation hit him like a brick in the chest. His heart ached like someone was slowly trying to prise it from his ribcage. Gasping, he stumbled back a step, clutching at his chest. He knew this wasn’t his own heartbreak. He knew whose it was, and exactly why.

Slowly he walked just down the hall and turned into his old bedroom. Ladybug stood in the center, looking around at the almost empty room with unshed tears. There was now very little left in his room, and what was there had been stripped bare or covered up.

“Looks like even Gabriel has given up on looking for him. He’s probably started putting his stuff into storage…”

He felt another painful tug on his heart from her emotions and guilt flooded through him for lying to her. Of course, he knew that most of his stuff had been moved to another house, but the plan had been for it to look like Gabriel was starting to move on. Or at least… it had been before tonight.

“No,” she murmured quietly, a tear running down her cheek. “No, he… he can’t be…”

He looked at her a moment as she curled in on herself, looking utterly defeated. Silently, he went over to her and wrapped her in his arms. “I’m sorry, My Lady,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry…”

 

* * *

**.oOo.**

* * *

 

Adrien steeled himself as he prepared to walk into the room. He could see his father on the small TV. He sat still and passive like he usually did, his wrists chained to the table. His hair was a mess and his usually pristine suit had smears of dirt, yet he still held himself with that same dignified air that he was better than everyone.

A lot of the policemen seemed nervous of him, but he had assured them that without the Miraculous he was powerless. No more than just a wealthy fashion designer with bad morals… okay, and somewhat formidable fencing skills. It wasn’t any of those things that worried him, he’d already faced and beaten him, after all. It was the fact that he was about to face his father.

Anxiously, he fiddled with the small charm in his pocket and made to enter the room.

“Oh, Chat Noir!” He looked back towards Officer Raincomprix. “I know you’re only here for Miraculous stuff, but can you try getting something out of him about his kid? We’ve been trying for ages, but he just keeps telling us that he doesn’t know where he is. He’s got to be lying. No one just falls off the face of the earth. And what with his wife missing as well… it’s more than a little suspicious.”

He nodded, swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat. He really hoped that his father wasn’t charged for his ‘disappearance’, but hopefully, with no evidence, he wouldn’t be.

Taking a deep breath, he turned back and walked into the interrogation room. As good as interrogation rooms went, this one was nice. It was spacious and had a window slightly higher up on the other wall. It didn’t seem too secure, but they didn’t exactly  _ need _ secure right now.

Upon his entrance, Gabriel straightened up, even more, watching his every move and hungrily eyeing his ring.

“Chat Noir,” he greeted stiffly.

“Gabriel,” he replied in the same tone. He took a small charm and placed it on the desk in front of them, sending energy into it to activate it. It immediately started to glow a soft blue and he felt his ears almost pop.

“What was that?” Gabriel growled warily.

“Just a small spell I whipped up,” he said casually, going and leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed. “All electronics in a ten-meter radius will be malfunctioning to the point of them being unusable… at least until the charm stops. In other words, no cameras and no mics. Everything has been blocked. They won’t hear us.”

Gabriel raised a rather threatening eyebrow. “If you intend to use more… darker methods of getting information out of me, I’m afraid you’ve really lucked out. I’ve already told all those useless policemen, I don’t know where Adrien is. I wish I did, but I  _ don’t _ .”

Chat snorted in contempt. “Now, we both know that’s bullshit. But I’m not here to talk about that. I want to know why you did it. Why the hell did you steal a miraculous, drive your Kwami almost literally insane, and terrorise the city for three years?! People are dead because of you! You know that right?! What the hell was worth all that?!”

Gabriel already looked disinterested in the conversation. “I don’t expect that you would understand.”

“Try me,” he growled, walking up to the table and hovering over him.

His father didn’t answer him right away. Instead, he spoke after a moment's pause. “Has your fate started yet?” he asked.

“What?” Chat said in confusion.

“You are a Miraculous wielder, therefor you must be an Incarnate. Has your fate started yet?”

“Um… kind of,” he replied, not sure how to answer that, not without giving himself away.

“Fates are not kind,” Gabriel sneered. “Most of the Greek myths were tragedies. Fate rips those you love away from you and ruins lives.”

“And what’s that got to do with anything?”

“Because with yours and Ladybug’s Miraculous, I could have stopped their fates. My wife and son. I could have broken them completely.”

“You - you did this for them?” he said, taken aback for a moment, however, anger quickly overcame him. “What makes you think that they would want you to do that?! Changing fate  _ is not _ worth what you’ve done!”

“It would have been, had I succeeded.”

“ _ No it wouldn’t! _ ” he shouted. “You have killed people! You manipulated and used people in their weakest moments. You turned a powerful and proud Kwami into a terrified creature, too afraid of its own powers! You pushed me away for years, and for what?! Oh my god, Father, I knew you could be an asshole, but why do you have to be such a  _ stupid asshole! _ ”

His fist slammed down on the table. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at his father, but he couldn’t carry on raging at him like that. Huffing out a breath of frustration, he ran a clawed hand through his hair, trying to calm down. He was focusing so hard on it that it took him a while to realise it was dead silent. He’d expected his father to argue a bit more, to defend his actions like he always did. But it was quiet.

Confused, he looked up to see his father’s startled, but critical gaze. He froze, feeling as if he were put on the spot. Like Gabriel was studying him and trying to figure him out. Nervously, his eyes darted towards the window, trying to focus on anything but that intense stare.

“Adrien…?”

His eyes snapped back to his father, inhaling sharply. How had he…

“W-what?”

“You’re Chat Noir…” he said in wonder. “All this time and the ring was right under my nose.”

Adrien hid his ring behind his back protectively, even though Gabriel had yet to make a move. “How did you… I said ‘Father’, didn’t I?” he sighed, realising his mistake.

“You did. I hope you’re not usually this callous with your identity.”

“Of course not!” he snorted. “Forgive me, Father, but it’s been a  _ bit _ of an emotional day. For one, I just found out that  _ my father _ is the villain that’s been terrorising this city for three years. The same one that has nearly  _ killed me _ many times. I had to watch while you were arrested.  _ And _ I had to watch while one of my best friends ran around the house in a frenzy looking for Adrien. I had to  _ feel _ her heartbreak as I convinced her that I was gone when I was really  _ right in front of her! _ So, I’m sorry if I’m a little off my game. It’s been a rough day,” he said bitterly.

Once again, Gabriel didn’t say anything for a while, ignoring his son’s stress and choosing to stare at him appraisingly instead. “So, what will you do now that I’m no longer ‘forcing’ you to stay away from people?”

Adrien sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. “Nothing,” he replied. “It was my idea, remember? I’m going to continue with the plan, but not for your reasonings. I know the truth now, I’m not afraid of the lies you told me when you first pulled me out of school. But… I have seen what has happened to other Eros Incarnates in the past and I’d rather that not happen to me. I’m just going to go through it all as best I can. You may have been trying to stop it, but I’m prepared to face my fate… At least it has a happy ending.”

“I see,” Gabriel said, not sounding entirely happy with the answer. “And speaking of your…  _ predicament _ , how are you hiding them?”

With a cheeky grin, he held up his wrist to show a woven bracelet with two black beads and one bright green. “Not long after you put me on house arrest, the Grand Guardian made this for me. It’s a powerful spell… though, it only works when I’m transformed.”

This almost made Gabriel snigger. “So since you couldn’t be out and about as yourself, you went out as Chat Noir. That certainly explains why he was seen around the city more often, and why I couldn’t find you around the house on occasion.”

“You’re one to talk. How often did you say you were at the office when really you were off Akumatizing people?” Gabriel didn’t seem to dignify that with an answer, so instead, he asked another question that had been nagging him. “So then, who are you? You said it yourself, to wield a Miraculous, you have to be an Incarnate. Which one are you?”

“Ares,” he replied.

Adrien’s eyes widened. “S-seriously? You’re Ares? But - but he’s Eros’s father. That’s a true connection. That’s really rare!”

Gabriel smirked, seeming amused by his son’s reaction. “It is.”

“Huh. That’s actually kind of cool.” His smile faded when he saw that the stone on the table was starting to fade. He sighed. “The spell’s fading. I should go.” Slowly, he walked to the window and opened it. As he did, he realised that this was probably the last time he would see his father in a very long time.

“Adrien, wait…” his father called him back. There was a slight pause before he spoke again. “Take off your Miraculous.”

“What?” he cried. “Like hell I’m going to take it off. You’ve been arrested. It’s over, Father. You’re not-”

“I don’t want it, Adrien. I simply meant for you to detransform. I want to see the face of my son, not the masked hero.”

Adrien stared at him a moment, seeing the sincerity in his eyes. Like him, Gabriel realised that they weren’t going to see each other for a long time, if ever again. And quietly, he released his transformation.

His father watched as green, electric looking light flickered over Chat Noir, revealing his son underneath in the blink of an eye. As the black melted away, something else appeared. Behind him formed two large feathered wings. They were a light cream in colour with an iridescent sheen, the tips swept all the way to the floor. He remembered when they had first grown in properly, what with his golden hair looking like a halo, he could remember thinking how truly angelic his son had looked. And he still did. He wasn’t wearing a shirt again, showing off his lean, but well-toned stomach. He truly lived up to his title as a God Incarnate, looking very much like one of the marble statues.

“This didn’t have to happen, you know…” Adrien said quietly. “Ares is never imprisoned, this isn’t your fate.”

“No,” he replied. “But I had to do it, nonetheless.”

Silence fell over them once again as the gravity of the situation. And for the first time in a long time, Adrien actually felt the love his father felt towards him warm his chest. But one glance at the ever fading stone made the small smile drop from his face.

“I don’t know how long you’re going to be in prison for, but you won’t get any visits,” he told him. “I don’t even think I’d be able to if I wanted to.”

Gabriel looked down at the desk, a hint of regret finally showing on his face. “No, I didn’t expect so.”

“Goodbye, Father,” He said.

“Goodbye, son.”

Then, with one last look back, Adrien jumped out the window, transforming as he went. The giant, feathered wings gave one small flap before they were magically hidden and compressed inside the suit. He whipped out his baton and swung down to the next building. Leaving his father watching him through the window.

A sad sigh escaped him. He just hoped for his sake that his fate did not end as cruelly. That he didn’t end up like his mother. He hoped with all he had that like many Eros Incarnates before him… that his fate did not destroy him.


	2. Treacherous Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years later…
> 
> Chat Noir and Marinette are adorable, and Master Fu lays down some serious exposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I’ve actually had this chapter written for a while. And I’m already halfway through the next chapter.  
> I was kind of hoping to be a bit further in my writing, but I am SO incredibly swamped at the moment. I have a show on at the moment, and it is taking up over half my time (it opens next week and only goes for two weeks, so hopefully I should have a LOT more time next month), work is CRAZY, and I need to complete my assignments for my course ASAP!  
> So, since I already had this written, I thought I would post it now, so I don’t feel as bad for not posting as often as I want.
> 
> As it said in the summary, this chapter is pretty heavy in exposition, and I do not apologise for it. Master Fu is going to give you all a bit more of an idea how this AU works. Honestly, I really do love this AU and it’s a lot of fun. I am already doodling winged Adrien everywhere! I’ve opened with a little bit of fluff… because there kinda won’t be any for a good while after.  
> But, angst aside, I hope you enjoy!

##  **Treacherous Fate**

 

Marinette breathed in deep, taking in the intoxicating scents of the flowers around her. She was practically buzzing as she moved about, watering her plants and tending to each of them.

She wasn't sure when it happened, but her love of plants and gardening had grown over the years to the point that her balcony was overflowing with flowers. It made it an absolutely amazing place to be in spring and summer. Her favourite time of the year was right now, in the last month of Spring. And Tikki absolutely adored it. Apparently, she’d made the ‘perfect ladybug garden’.

It was such a lovely peaceful place. The smell was amazing, and on sunny days it lit with such pretty light, it looked like it had a photo filter over it. And with the ambient sounds of the city in the background, it was a very relaxing place just to sit and read, or draw, or even do nothing but think.

There was a quiet, content purring behind her where Chat Noir was lazing on her deckchair, and she looked back at him to see that he looked half asleep. She wanted to call him a dork, but the rush of affection she felt overpowered it. He really did look cute like that, smiling happily in the sunlight.

“Enjoying yourself there, Kitty?” she asked fondly.

“Mmm…” was his lazy reply. “‘Course…”

“You’re going to fall asleep,” she giggled.

“Sounds like a good plan… You should join me.” He reached out, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her down onto the chair. He wrapped his arm around her waist, trying to get her lying down next to him as a little spoon.

“Chat!” she complained half-heartedly.”Chat! I need to finish watering the flowers!’

“Nope, too late. You’re mine,” he said happily, snuggling into her neck. She giggled, just enjoying the feeling of his arms around her a moment before she redoubled her efforts and tried to roll off the chair and away. It failed miserably. “Did you really think I was going to let you get away that easy?”

“No. How about a deal, Kitty. I’m almost done watering. Just let me tend to the last few, and I’ll come right back. I promise.”

A conflicted look appeared on his face, and she knew he was tossing up between letting her go do what she wanted so he could get her back hassle free, or holding onto her no matter what, despite her struggles. It took him a bit, but ultimately the idea of relaxed, pliant Marinette must have won out over minutes of play fighting because he sighed and his arms relaxed around her.

“Fine,” he sighed in mock disappointment, finally letting her go.

With a wink, she stood and picked up the watering can she’d dropped. She had to refill it a bit since most of it had spilt. She quickly began watering the last few pots, finding herself actually quite eager to get back to cuddling Chat.

It wasn’t till she got to the last plant that she paused a moment. A miniature tea rose. It was fully in bloom and smelled lovely, but every time she saw it a wave of sadness came over. Her mother had said that tea roses symbolised remembrance. And indeed, every time she saw it, memories came to her of a green-eyed boy with a sad smile and a kind heart.

Slowly she watered it, checking for any dead buds or blooms and making sure that it was as perfect as the boy she remembered. She was so focused on the plant that she didn’t even notice Chat Noir come up behind her.

“Marinette, what’s wrong?” he asked quietly, his arms wrapping around her waist from behind.

“Huh?” she started.

“You’re upset. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing new,” she told him gently. “Just… these flowers… they’re for Adrien.” She felt him tense slightly, and she could feel his small burst of surprise. “Maman said that they mean ‘ _I’ll always remember you_ ’ and I thought they were perfect. I don’t ever want to forget him. I just want him to come home safe and sound one day.”

“What are those?” he asked, pointing to some aqua green stones placed at the base of the plant.

“They’re a charm. A spell.”

“A spell?!” this time the surprise was evident in his voice. “You can do spells?”

“Um… not exactly. Mémère Cheng could. She taught some to Maman because she believed that everyone had a little magic in them if we just believed it could come true.”

“I see. So, what spell is it?” he asked curiously.

Marinette was quiet a moment, and she felt him shift, looking down at her. “It’s to help find something lost,” she said eventually, her voice barely above a whisper. “Or, well… someone, in this case.”

“...Oh,” was Chat’s only reply.

She had been rather careful about talking about Adrien around Chat over the years. He was adamant that Adrien was gone and always looked sad or frustrated when either Ladybug or Marinette brought it up. Conversations about Adrien just hurt the both of them, and over time, they stopped talking about him.

It had been six years since she'd last heard from him, and five years since he was officially declared missing. She knew that _something_ was wrong because he had been acting strange and saying odd things before he suddenly cut off contact with everyone. Personally, she believed that he found out that his father was Hawkmoth, and Gabriel did something to keep him quiet. But even as she disliked the man, she knew that he would never intentionally do something to harm his son. So he had to be out there _somewhere_.

“I know you think he's gone, but I can't believe that,” she said quietly. “I have to hope that he's out there somewhere and that someday he'll come back. I _have_ to. Everyone else has given up. If I give up too, who's going to hope he'll come back. He's going to come back... He _has_ to...”

Chat said nothing, instead tightening his embrace and pulling back closer into his chest. His head came down and rested on her shoulder, giving her comfort. She knew that he was trying not to say anything to upset her further, that although he didn't agree with her, he was comforting her nonetheless. Smiling sadly, she raised her free hand and griped his forearm to show her gratitude at the gesture.

That was when she saw something strange tucked in the flowers. Reaching over, she pulled it out to see it was a folded slip of paper with '師父 傅' written in red on the outside. She only knew basic Chinese, but she knew that name. Master Fu. Her eyes quickly darted about till she saw him standing below in the park next door. The moment their eyes met, he gave a nod then, turned and walked away.

“What's that?” Chat's voice drew her attention.

“Ah, nothing!” she said, quickly closing the note away in her hand and shoving it into her pocket. “Just a wilted bloom. C-can't have dead flowers on Adrien's plant!”

“No, because that would be _terrible_ ,” he said sarcastically.

“It would indeed.”

“So, are you done yet? Because I believe that a certain princess promised cuddles once the flowers were watered.”

She giggled. “Yeah, I'm done now.” She placed the watering can down on the table and took him by the hand.

 

* * *

**.oOo.**

* * *

  

Marinette fidgeted as she stood outside the door to Master Fu's place. She still had his note clasped in his hand, although she didn't need it. ' _7:30pm tonight_ '. That was all it said, but that was all it needed to say for her to know he wanted to meet up with her. About what, she didn't know. Everything had been fine in Paris for years now. Hawkmoth was gone, and the city was more than safe. The last time she had actually been summoned to Master Fu's was when he wanted to advise her that he would be giving out three of the other Miraculous. He'd said that it would give them time to train for the day when they are necessary. And she had enjoyed having them around sometimes. But this time she had a feeling what he was going to tell her was more life changing. This was something big. Tikki had assured her that it would be alright, but it did little to quell the nervousness crawling beneath her skin.

Swallowing her anxieties and summoning her courage, she pushed open the door and walked into his parlour. As usual, Master Fu was waiting for her. He had a cushion, and a low table set out with tea and some snacks.

“Marinette,” he greeted with a slight incline of his head.

“Hello, Master Fu,” she said sweetly, sitting on the cushion on the opposite side of the table to him. He instantly began to pour tea into cups for the both of them, as well as into two little porcelain cups that had come from toy sets. Tikki eagerly flew out and grabbed one of the tiny cups, along with a cookie from the plate.

“Thank you, Master Fu,” she chirped, sitting down on the table near Marinette.

“Yes, thank you, Master,” came a quiet voice. Marinette looked down to see Wayzz now sitting with Tikki, a tiny cup of tea held between his flippers. He was always so quiet; she didn't always notice him zipping around.

“You are quite welcome,” he told them all.

Gratefully, Marinette took a sip of her tea. She found that the scent had been sweeter than the actual taste, but it was still a sweet tea. The only thing she could identify off the bat was jasmine.

“So, what brings me here?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, no, my dear. Just something that has been a long time coming. Tell me, do you know what Incarnates are or the Fate of the Gods?” he asked her.

“Um... not exactly,” she replied, scrunching her nose up in thought. “I've heard Maman and Tikki say something about them every now and then, but I never really asked.”

“I see... Well, how much do you know about the Greek gods?”

“I know a few legends. You know, like Persephone and Hades, or Medusa. And I know a little bit about some of the others. They're really cool. I love knowing about history like that. It's really interesting to see what people used to believe.”

“It is indeed,” he said with a smile. He paused a moment, taking a sip of tea before placing the cup on the table. “Alright, it seems I shall have to teach you. Incarnates are essentially human incarnations of the Greek Gods.” Marinette shot him a disbelieving look, and he raised a hand to stay her questions. “See, many people these days believe that they are just myth, but they were once real. Oh, some of the things they did may have been over exaggerated, but these divine beings did exist. They did not create the world, or mankind, or anything like that. Instead, they were ideas. Things that mankind believed in so strongly that they were given life and power. It was this reason that they needed the power of people's belief. For people to stop believing in them would mean death. So, when ancient Greek civilisation died out, along with belief in the gods, they died with it. But because they were such powerful beings, they couldn't just die. Instead, they were incarnated as humans and continue to be reincarnated to this day. They bare personality traits, features, and powers of the god they once were. These people are called Incarnates.”

“Okay...” she said, drawing out the word. She wasn't entirely sure why he was telling her this. Perhaps there was another big threat rising, and it was one of these incarnates. Zeus had always been an ass in mythology, and Aries was literally the god of war...

“Now, the Fate of the Gods is considered a rule. People have been aware of these Incarnates for centuries, and over time it became evident that some Incarnates would live out the fate of their god one way or another. There is no way to avoid it. And so, precautions were set in place. Guardians, like myself, were tasked with keeping track of the Incarnates and intervening where necessary. Sometimes an Incarnate's fate can pull them away from their life and things they were meant to do. So 'Fate of the Gods' is often used as an excuse, though it only counts when I officially sign something off.”

“I... see...”

“Oh, and many Incarnates have powers, some even have features. These usually come into play around sixteen.”

“Powers? Features?” she asked, actually curious about what those might be. If she were going to face an Incarnate, it would do well to know what she was up against.

“Yes, powers and features similar to their god. Like, say... Pan might grow ram's horns, or one of the winged gods would gain wings.”

“Wings?! But wouldn't someone notice that?!” she asked. She'd never seen nor heard of anyone casually walking around with wings before.

Fu smiled sadly, somehow looking almost mischievous. “Many of them hide away from society these days, become recluses. It's very sad to watch.”

“I... guess it would be, yeah.”

“Now, as for powers, Zeus often has power over lightning and electricity. This came in handy for some of his past Incarnates, who are now known as famous scientists and inventors in history. They also have a horrible habit of cheating. The Aphrodite of this generation has the power to sense love, attract people to her, and change her features to reflect 'beauty'. She is quite powerful, and was once the wielder of the Peacock Miraculous.”

“She was?!” Her mouth fell open slightly. Someone already as powerful as that had a Miraculous?!

Master Fu giggled. “Yes. Ironic, isn't it? Seeing as the peacock is the symbol of Hera. I imagine that she was quite jealous of that little fact... she usually is.”

“I wouldn't have thought that someone already that powerful could be a Miraculous wielder.” She took another long sip of her tea, not wanting it to go cold before she finished.

“Oh, only Incarnates can be Miraculous holders,” he told her. “They possess an innate magic that is essential for activating and resonating with Miraculous stones.”

“Oh, okay then... Wait, _what_?!” she suddenly cried a moment later when what he said finally registered. If only Incarnates could wield a Miraculous, then that would mean... “Does that mean...? Are you telling me that...? Is that what all this has been leading up to? That – that – that I'm... an Incarnate or something?!”

He smirked. “Well, I cannot deny that that was the intention of our meeting. Though, I had hoped that you would have known more about your situation than you did.”

Her brow furrowed. “D-do Maman and Papa know?”

“Yes, they do,” he nodded. “All parents are informed at their child's birth that they are an Incarnate. Hospitals are required to check each child for the mark of the gods, and then they are registered with their closest Guardian. And all of those are then reported back to me, being the Grand Guardian, but I digress. Your mark, I believe is a butterfly.” He quirked a questioning eyebrow at her, and her hand moved to touch the spot on her right hip her her butterfly-shaped birthmark was. She'd never really questioned the mark before. She'd never realised it was such a unique thing.

“They knew all this time, and they never told me?”

Fu smiled kindly at her, trying to reassure her. “They probably didn't think too much of it. You are after all, what is considered a minor god. Some gods don't even have a proper fate... But sometimes it is the minor gods that have the biggest stories.”

“Wh-what's my story?” she asked.

“Well, you are the goddess Psyche,” he told her. “Have you ever heard the story of Psyche and Eros?”

“Um... no. Not – not really. I've heard the names, but I don't think I've ever actually heard the story before.”

“Ah, then I won't spoil too much of it for you. But it is considered one of the greatest love stories in history.”

“L-love stories?!”

What? No! She – she couldn't! Her fate couldn't be a love story! She was already in love with someone! And unless this love story involved three people, it wasn't going to work! And it wouldn't work anyway because if it came to choosing between a man that fate told her she had to be with and Chat, she would choose Chat every time.

“Yes, a very sweet one,” he told her.

“No, no, no! Master Fu, I can't! I'm already-”

“In love with Chat Noir? I'm quite aware. But I'm afraid that cannot be until both of your Fates come to pass.” He took a sip of his tea, then shifted to get comfortable, groaning as his old bones creaked. “I am going to be honest with you, Marinette. Fate is not an easy thing. It has torn apart people's lives before. Destroyed families. Hopefully, this will not happen to you, but there are many things that you will have to give up for a while.”

“Give up...” she said quietly. Her hand instantly went to one of her earrings and fear struck her chest like an ice-cold dagger.

“Yes, I am afraid that you will have to give up being Ladybug while your fate plays out.”

“What? N-no! Master Fu, please!” she begged, her eyes brimming with tears. “I – I can't give up being Ladybug! I-”

“Calm yourself, Marinette.”

“But-”

“Calm,” he ordered. “Drink your tea.”

Holding back her outburst, she followed his orders and sat back, trying to calm her breathing. With shaky hands, she picked up her tea and took a long sip, keeping the cup near her mouth. She tried to ignore the tear that was slipping down her cheek, but the feel of Tikki nuzzling against her leg just made her want to cry more.

“Do not fret so much, my dear,” Fu said kindly. “It is only temporary. You will not be replaced. I will hold onto your earrings for safe keeping, but Tikki may go with you.”

“Sh-she can?!” she said, perking up slightly.

“Yes, she can. I will not deprive you of your companion, especially when her support will be needed most.”

“But... what about Chat?”

“It is up to Chat Noir to decide what he wishes to do in your absence. He may wish to withdraw as well, or he may continue on as he always has. But, just in case, I will ask Queen Bee and Papillon to step up while you are away.”

“Okay,” she said quietly. “And... and how long will I be 'away' for?”

“That depends,” he said. “Your fate may take a few months... or it could take a few years.”

“ _What_?!”

“Calm,” he reminded her. “I am not saying that it _will_ take a few years. That is only a possibility. Though history does repeat itself with your fate, the story is almost never the same. The couple that managed to keep going for a few years were very cautious. Finding out who Eros is is inevitable, but the way it's done is important as to whether your fate turns out happy or a tragedy. Some of the shortest times have worked because they clicked instantly, whereas others failed because it was too soon. I know you have a wonderful sense of judgement. I trust that you will use it and follow your instincts with this one.”

Marinette said nothing for a long time. She sipped her tea till it was all gone. “Why are you only telling me this now?” she asked eventually.

Master Fu thought about it for only a moment, thinking of how to explain it to her. “One's fate more often than not happens around their 21st birthday. Some earlier, and some later. And your 21st birthday is coming up in a few days. Some fates happen naturally on their own... Like your friends Alya and Nino. They are Hades and Persephone.”

“Nino? Hades?!” she snorted. She just couldn't imagine her chillaxed friend being the big, bad king of Greek Hell.

“Hades gets quite the bad rap because of his position... and because of a certain Disney movie. Really, he was quite a fair and benevolent god. In his myths, he would give people a chance... unlike others who made tasks quite impossible or outright punished people for things they didn't deserve. And not all Incarnates get every little trait from their god. But, their fates have already begun a few years back, I believe.”

“...Hades and Persephone... I don't really recall one of my best friends kidnapping the other and refusing to let her go,” she said sarcastically.

This made Fu chuckle. “No, I don't recall that happening either. But none the less, your friend Alya spends half the year here in Paris with Nino and the other half in London with her mother and the rest of her family. Just as Persephone spent half the year in the Underworld and the other half on Olympus. Now, to continue with my explanation, most Fates occur naturally, like your friend's. But a few need... a bit of a kick start. Like yours. In the myth of Psyche and Eros, when Psyche seems not to be attracting any suitors, despite her beauty and kind soul, her parents bring her to the Oracle of Delphi to find out why this is. Now, I believe that the current Oracle of Delphi lives in Australia, but seeing as I am the Incarnate of Coeus, God of Intellect and oracles, as well as the Grand Guardian, I believe that I can fill that role quite well.”

Marinette clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. “That doesn't explain why you chose to tell me all of this now!” she ground out. “You've known I was an Incarnate since I was born! You were the one who chose me to be Ladybug. I've known you for six years now! Why didn't you tell me back then?!”

Master Fu sighed. “I wanted you to grow up having a normal life, without the weight of your fate on your shoulders. I wanted you to feel free to love who you chose to.”

“Who I choose?! What does it matter when I'm pretty much destined to love someone else anyway! And look at all the good it did! The first boy I fell in love with went missing without a trace. And three of my last four relationships were utter train wrecks! I'm lucky that I'm still on good terms with Nathaniel! And now... now I'm in love with Chat, and you're telling me that I can't be because all along I've had this – this _soulmate_!”

“The choice of who you love is still yours, Marinette,” he said calmly, despite her rage. “Even at the end of all this, it is still yours. But fate demands that you see this through. If you don't, horrible things have been known to happen. Those who stray from their fate have often had it worse than what they would have suffered going through it. Yours is supposed to be a happy fate, and I only wish to make sure it comes true.”

At his sincere words, Marinette hung her head and took in a deep breath. “Alright... what do I have to do? Tell me, o’ great oracle.”

Fu smirked at her cheeky comment, glad that she had reined her emotions in enough for her wit to come through. “Well, in the myth the Oracle of Delphi told Psyche and her parents that she must dress in black and go to a house in the hills. There she would meet a monster who was to be her husband. And there she must stay. However, we already know the plot twist to this myth, don't we? The 'monster' turns out to be Eros. So I will not tell you that you are to marry a monster.”

“But...?” she said, sensing that he was yet to say something else.

“But... I do have to tell you that you will have to go to a mansion just at the edge of the city of Paris. There you will meet Eros, who is to be your husband. And you are to stay there until your fate has run its course.”

“ _WHAT_ ?” she spluttered. “Did you _actually_ just say, _husband_ ?! As in _married_?”

“Only officially as your god. That way the conditions of your fate are met, and if it works out, an official wedding can be held under your own names later, and if not, it is much easier to annul the marriage this way.”

“So, what? You want me to have some secret wedding with some guy I don't know?!”

“It's not so much a 'wedding' in the traditional sense.” He pulled an old brown case towards him, opened it and pulled out a white slip of paper. “Just a simple signing of papers. It's all perfectly legal. I am a registered celebrant, and Wayzz can sign as a witness. You only have to sign as Psyche, seeing as it is an identity recognised by all governments across the world.”

She looked down at the paper in front of her in apprehension. It was a marriage certificate. Master Fu and Wayzz had already signed their parts as the officiant and the witness. Under the section for the groom, there was already a signature. 'Eros' had been printed in an elegant, loopy handwriting.

“He's... already signed this?” she said.

“Eros has known his fate for a very long time. The changes he went through were quite drastic, and as a result, he spends most of his time hidden away in his house. Though he only signed those papers the other week, he has know that this time would come for years.”

“Oh...” Quietly, he pushed a pen over towards her. “I... This is all too much, Master Fu,” she cried softly. “I – I don't know if I can do this!”

She felt a gentle pressure on her hand and looked down to see Tikki placing both of her little nubbly arms on her comfortingly. “It will be alright Marinette,” she said reassuringly. “I know that this is big, but I'll be there beside you the entire way. You can do this. You're Ladybug!” She flew up in front of her charge's face and pressed their foreheads together gently. “I believe in you.”

This seemed to calm her down a bit and allowed her to find the courage she needed. “Thanks, Tikki... I – I don't get much of a choice in this, do I?”

“I'm afraid not,” Fu said sorrowfully.

“Alright then...” Taking a deep, deep breath and gulping, she picked up the pen and began to sign. The unfamiliar name came out shaky and uneven as her hand trembled. But it was done.

“I'm so proud of you,” Tikki told her. “I know this isn't easy.”

“That's an understatement,” she muttered. But all sass left her when she realised that she would now have to give up her Miraculous. A sudden thought made her quickly look up at Master Fu again. “C-can I at least say goodbye to Chat? As Ladybug, I mean?”

He nodded in reply. “Of course, my dear. I believe that it is almost time for your routine patrol. I will allow you this time to say your goodbyes while I tell your parents of the situation.”

At this, her face paled. Oh god, her parents! What were they going to think of all of this? How were they all going to cope?

“Oh...” She stared into space as scenarios ran through her head. Images of her parents crying as they had no choice but to leave her on the doorstep of a large empty mansion.

Noticing her zone out and have an internal freakout, Master Fu stood and walked around to her. He gently grabbed her hands, stopping her wild thoughts in their tracks. He smiled at her kindly and gave a gentle tug on her hands, pulling her to her feet. “You should go. He'll be waiting for you.”

She nodded numbly before turning and leaving. Just before she left she transformed, just to be sure that no one would see her. Then she made her away through the streets of Paris to the usual meeting spot. To her sweet kitty...

She had to say goodbye to Chat Noir... and she had no idea what to tell him.


End file.
